10 environmental landmarks of 2018

Here's a look at the 10 environmental landmarks of 2018.

A man collecting soil which had accumulated on the river banks during the time of floods, at Varapuzha in Kochi.&nbsp | &nbspPhoto Credit:&nbspBCCL

The year 2018 saw the globe talking about one thing - The State of our Environment. It was a year that was marked by some horrific man-made and natural disasters as well as a year where innovation was the mantra of success. Here is a look at the 10 environmental landmarks of 2018:

1. Air Quality Index ‘very poor’ in Delhi-NCR

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The air quality in the capital city and its surrounding cities has been oscillating between 'poor' and 'very poor' for a long time now. One of the most polluted cities in the world, Delhi is making its citizens fall prey to severe health hazards.

2. Plastic banned in 25 states and UTs

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As many as 25 states and union territories imposed a ban on manufacture, sale and use of plastic bags in some form or the other earlier this year. Jammu and Kashmir and Maharashtra were among the states to ban plastic in 2018. While the ban remained ineffective in Karnataka and Punjab, the use of plastic bags is gradually fading out in Uttarakhand. PM Narendra Modi announced earlier this year that the country will eliminate all single-use plastic by 2022.

3. 1,789 cities declared open defecation free

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As many as 1,789 cities in the country were declared open defecation free (ODF) by Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister for Housing and Urban Development, in November. The Swachh Bharat Mission, which was launched in 2014, aims to make India a clean and open defecation free country by October 2019.

4. Solid waste management in Delhi and Mumbai

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The Ghazipur garbage dumping site, one of the oldest and largest landfill sites of Delhi-NCR region, was found out to be 65 metre tall which is only 8 metre less than the height of Qutub Minar. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) imposed a fine of Rs 5 crore on the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for failing to carry out proper waste management in the three dumping grounds of Mumbai- Deonar, Mulund and Kanjurmarg.

5. Toxic hell in Mahul

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A study conducted by IIT Bombay revealed that the location of the petroleum refinery might pose multiple health problems to the residents who were rehabilitated in Mahul. The area is not fit for human habitat as the location is in direction of the wind making it problematic. The report took a legal repercussion when Bombay High Court has asked the state government to file a reply on it.

6. Bellandur Lake frothing

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The toxic frost from Bengaluru's Bellandur lake, infamous for its pollution, has risen to almost 10 feet in several places. A German firm, AG Dauters has approached the state government to rejuvenate the lake by setting up waste-to-energy units and a zero-cost solution for the sewage of the lake. Other lakes that saw heavy frothing recently in Bengaluru are- Yemalur, Varthur and Byramangala.

7. Floods in Assam, Manipur and Kerala

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The north-eastern states of Assam and Manipur were hit by deadly floods in June that forced thousands of people to live in relief camps. In August, Kerala received its worst floods in nearly 100 years after it received about 275% more rainfall than usual. The floods took lives of more than 400 people.

8. Cyclones Titli, Gaja and Phethai

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The year saw seven tropical cyclones- Sagar, Mekunu, Luban, Titli, Daye, Gaja and Phethai. Cyclone Phethai, the most recent cyclone, forced the evacuation of 20,000 people to relief camps. Cyclone Titli that hit Odisha in October was classified by Indian Meteorological Department as a "very severe cyclone'.

9. Wildlife and marine animal deaths

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Avni, the tigress who was believed to have killed 13 people over the last two years, was shot dead in Maharashta in November. A pride 26-member pride of the endangered Asiatic lions in Gujarat was almost wiped out with 23 lions dying in 20 days. Since 2014, the country also recorded the highest number of leopard deaths in the year.

A survey conducted by Mumbai Mangrove Conservation Unit (MMCU) suggested that the number of marine animal deaths reported along Konkan coast increased by 183 per cent since 2014. While 15 deaths were recorded in 2015, the number rose to 34 only in the first nine months of 2018. The study also said that there are no records of marine animal deaths prior to 2015.

10. Role of Indian Ocean in climate change

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A study by researchers from the University of Texas recently revealed that the Indian Ocean played a far greater role in driving climate change during the last ice age that previously believed. The study also claimed that the ocean may disrupt tropical climate change again in the future.